Point Wild, Elephant Island (WILD)
61˚06’S, 54˚52’W Magnetic declination: 8.3˚E Inventory subarea: EI Inventory acronym: WILD Site Sensitivity: LOW Note : Restricted visitor space Location — History — Features A point six miles W of Cape Valentine on the N coast of Elephant Island. This site was made famous during Shackleton’s Endurance expedition (1914-17). It was the jumping-off spot for Shackleton and five of his men in the lifeboat James Caird . They successfully negotiated the 800-mile passage to South Georgia, and Shackleton ultimately returned to rescue the 22 men stranded at this rugged location. The site is named for Frank Wild, who was leader of the stranded party that camped here for four months until they were rescued in August 1916. The Chileans have erected a monument on site with a bust of Capt. Pardo, the master of the vessel Yelcho who successfully rescued these men. In the early 1980s, it was much easier to make shore landings at the Point, and to stand at the exact spot from which Hurley’s classic photographs of the James Caird launch were taken; now however, the beach is overrun by nesting penguins and fur seals. Elephant Island supports an active ice dome and several glaciers. Ice cliffs fringe much of the coastline. Nunataks project through the ice in the interior, but the only main ice-free areas are lowland peninsulas, headlands, coastal cliffs, scree, and boulder beaches. Point Wild is a low, narrow ridge of boulders and gravel between rocky, high, nearly vertical cliffs on the island side and steep, rocky masses of bedrock on the seaward side. To the W is the arc of a deeply indented bay whose N shore is formed by a massive glacier, which in comparison to historical photographs from the Shackleton expedition, appears to have receded. Many crevasses are exposed in the ice face. Vertical cliffs extend around the shore on the W side of this bay. On the E side of Point Wild, steep mountainsides rise almost directly from the sea. The ridge of Point Wild appears to be mainly rock with abundant guano and mud. There is a narrow, rocky beach of coarse, dark pebbles and cobbles, with occasionally exposed bedrock. The cliffs at Point Wild also expose well-foliated, layered metamorphic rocks. Outcrops at sea level contain many streaks of quartz. On site is an Antarctic Historic Site and Monument, a monolith and commemorative plaque celebrating the rescue of Shackleton’s Endurance expedition on August 30, 1916 by the Chilean Navy cutter Yelcho , under the command of Captain Luis Pardo Villalon. A bronze bust of Captain Pardo was placed on the monolith by the XXIVth Chilean Antarctic scientific Expedition in 1987-88. Landing Characteristics Point Wild presents a difficult zodiac tour, even in the best of weather. Landings are few because of the increase in numbers of hauled-out fur seals. If landings are negotiated, there is limited visitor space because of the high concentration of on-shore animal life. Zodiac tours are the more regular routine, which enable excellent looks at the site’s penguin-packed shoreline and active glaciers. Frequent glacier-calving and avalanches often fill the bay with brash ice and growlers, and potentially render zodiac travel more difficult. Antarctic Site Inventory Effort Visits by Antarctic Site Inventory researchers, 1994-2003: 1. December 2, 1995 RN LB Explorer 2. December 14, 1995 LB Explorer 3. January 17, 1999 RN Endurance 4. January 15, 2000 SF Cal Star 5. December 10, 2000 RN Cal Star 6. December 9, 2001 RN SF CE Endeavour 7. January 8, 2002 ` SF Endeavour 8. February 21, 2002 RN Endeavour 9. December 6, 2002 RN Endeavour 10. December 28, 2002 RP Endeavour Assessment and monitoring. The glacial recession between Point Wild and Cape Belsham suggests the utility of season-to-season photodocumentation. Preliminary surveying and population estimates only. Regular chinstrap penguin census colonies not identified. Preliminary ground level and aerial photography achieved. Fauna — Flora — Censuses Penguins & flying birds. Chinstrap penguins are abundant breeders, and macaroni penguins occasionally are noted. Pintado petrels are numerous and may be seen flying onto cliffside nests. No site-specific counts of chinstrap, gentoo, or macaroni penguin breeding populations are reported in Woehler (1993) and Woehler & Croxall (1996). Seals. Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals regularly haul-out on the site’s rocky beaches. Flora. None noted. Conservation Aspects Site sensitivities. Restricted visitor space. The receding glacier W of Point Wild, between Point Wild and Cape Belsham, has enabled seawater to reach the landing beach more readily, and considerably decreased available landing space. Chinstrap penguins crowd the available space, along with elephant seals and increasing numbers of fur seals. Pointers for avoiding disruptions:
Visitation Aspects Numbers of tourist zodiac landings and participating visitors, 1989-2003:
Proximate visitor sites. Tourist visits to Elephant Island generally make only one landing, either here or at Point Lookout on the S end of the island. Because of Point Wild’s farther distance from the South Shetlands, there have been fewer tourist visits. |
